Stages of Half Moon

www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk

#HalfMoonHistory

1972–2016

Celebrating the rich heritage of Half Moon Theatre www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk #HalfMoonHistory

Half Moon Theatre: (L–R) Alie Street (photo by Gordon Harris), Mile End Road (photo by Conrad Blakemore), White Horse Road

From its inception in 1972 Half Moon Theatre played a key role in the development of the theatre sector, as well as in the involvement in the arts of the broader East End community. Although the parent company closed in 1990, the young people’s section continued and still thrives as an independent charity today as the UK’s leading professional small-scale young people’s venue and touring company.

An award from the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots programme in 2015 has enabled us to work with young people to research the history of the company. We have collated and digitised as much information as possible to create a dedicated website (www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk) and a small touring exhibition. Entitled Stages of Half Moon, this project was a great opportunity for young people to discover the heritage of such an important body of work. The filmed interviews, with over 100 people who have been involved with the company in various capacities over the years – artistic, backstage, administrative, as an audience member, or youth participant – have been particularly fascinating. It has been a privilege to meet so many lovely people from across the decades and hear an eclectic range of personal memories.

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Half Moon would like to say a very special thank you to: »» Heritage Lottery Fund »» Royal Holloway University of London »» Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives »» Queen Mary University of London »» University of East London »» Unfinished Histories »» Tower Hamlets Ideas Stores »» LandSky »» Photography and the Archive Research Centre, UAL London College of Communication »» Four Corners »» Lansbury Lawrence Primary School »» All the photographers who have given permission to use their photos »» Diana Badia, Savannah Jackson, Philippa Kane, Anuradha Laws, Ollie Nesbitt, Ali Al Rashed, Orla Sanders, Georgina Da Silva, Aimee Thompson, Rosie Vincent, Penny Wrout and all our work experience students and young researchers from Eclipse and Equinox Youth Theatres »» The young people who have given their time to interview over 100 people on film – Alexia, Caitlin, Cara, Daisy, Elsa, Isabel, Kate, Kavana, Keira, Lasairiona, Luca, Molly, Rio, Toni »» The interviewees and others who have so generously donated their time, artefacts and memories to the project.

We couldn’t have done it without you all.

Festival

30 June – 2 July 2016

Half Moon Theatre 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND

Performances

Our four oldest Youth Theatre groups have spent the last two terms creating shows inspired by some of the iconic productions from across the history of the company.

(See pages 12–19)

www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk

The website is a living archive and we will continue to add information as it comes to light. Do get in touch if you have any photographs, programmes, posters, or other items which are missing from the website, or if you have any particular Half Moon memories you would like to share. While we have tried to ensure total accuracy and include a full production chronology, there may be mistakes or omissions, so do let us know by emailing history@halfmoon.org.uk

Exhibition

An exhibition of posters, photographs and other artefacts in our foyer space, Gallery @ Half Moon, until 1 September 2016.

The exhibition is also touring to: Whitechapel Ideas Store 321 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BU Oct–Nov 2016 Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX Nov–20 Dec 2016 Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives 277 Bancroft Road, London E1 4DQ Jan–Mar 2017

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27 Alie Street Half Moon Theatre was formed in 1972 in a disused synagogue in Alie Street, Aldgate, and took its name from Half Moon Passage at the side of the building, an alleyway which is still there today, though the original building has been demolished. Two of the founders, Michael Irving and Maurice Colbourne, already lived in the synagogue and decided to convert the space into a fringe theatre when joined by Artistic Director, Guy Sprung. They were soon joined by many other theatre people and artists – including Jeff Hooper, Steve Gooch and Mary Sheen – and were offered help from members of the local community.

Theatre sign, designed and painted by Tom Griffin

Theatre entrance

The company’s opening production in January 1972 was Bertolt Brecht’s In the Jungle of the Cities. In May 1972 the company had a major artistic success with Will Wat, If Not, What Will? by Steve Gooch, which received many positive reviews in the national press. Half Moon also actively sought to highlight opportunities for local actors and writers, including Billy Colvill and Johnnie Quarrell, to explore important topical issues and supported groups such as the Basement Writers. Other notable productions included Fall In and Follow Me by Dave Marson and Billy Colvill, a play about the children’s strike of 1911, and Female Transport by Steve Gooch.

Theatre foyer In the Jungle of the Cities (1972)

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In 1974, the company set up a Management Council and began receiving funding from the Arts Council of Great Britain. US photographer Wendy Ewald also formed a photography collective, Half Moon Photography Workshop, which exhibited in the theatre foyer. There was a concerted policy of community involvement, an advert was placed in Time Out for someone to run drama workshops in youth clubs across Tower Hamlets. Soon plays were being presented on tour to community spaces, such as Spare Us A Copper, which explored the legal rights of someone being taken into custody. The seeds of what was to become the Half Moon Young People’s Theatre were sewn.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (1978), production sketch by Mick Bearwish

Guys and Dolls (1979), photo by Chris Davies

When Guy Sprung returned to his native Canada in 1975, Pam Brighton took over as Artistic Director and continued to place the community at the heart of the company. Her plays included the very politically influential George Davis Is Innocent, OK by Shane Connaughton. The company began a long campaign to acquire Wilton’s Music Hall, as success had led to the need for a bigger venue and members of the wider East End community were keen to keep it as a local resource.

Rob Walker succeeded Pam Brighton in 1977 and offered a season of popular, music-hall inspired theatre. Mozzle with Anthony Sher was in 1978, followed by the UK’s first ever production of a Dario Fo play, We Can’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! and, later that year, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui with Simon Callow.

1979 began with a production of Guys and Dolls with only seven performers. By this stage the Young People’s Theatre was producing several shows a year to tour into schools and youth centres. Following the collapse of the campaign for Wilton’s, the company identified potential new premises in 1979 on the Mile End Road, next to Stepney Green tube. Steven Berkoff’s Greek, with Linda Marlowe, was one of the last productions in Alie Street in 1980.

George Davis Is Innocent, OK (1975), poster

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213 Mile End Road In 1979, Half Moon moved into the former Welsh Methodist Chapel on the Mile End Road and began to plan its transformation into a new theatre and community centre. Rob Walker’s first production, staged in the scaffolding of the un-renovated building, had Frances de la Tour as a female Hamlet. In 1980 Pal Joey, starring Sian Philips and Denis Lawson, was a big hit and transferred to the West End. An arson attack in 1981, during a run of Ezra

by Bernad Kops, destroyed some valuable archives, but the building itself was not badly damaged. This was followed by the world premiere of Edward Bond’s The Worlds. In 1982 came Yakety Yak, a musical with the band Darts and all four McGann brothers: Joe, Mark, Paul and Stephen.

Yakety Yak (1982), photo by John Haynes

Aerial view of theatre during building works

Theatre interior, photo by P. Sayer

Pal Joey (1980)

As the company celebrated its 10th birthday in 1982, sufficient funds had been raised to begin work on the ambitious £1.2m scheme conceived by architects Florian Beigel and Philip Christou and the Architectural Research Unit. The New Half Moon Theatre would use the Welsh Chapel as a community venue and build a separate new square-plan auditorium, as well as an independent young people’s theatre. When Rob Walker left in 1983, Stuart Mungall became Artistic Director for a brief sixmonth period, during which time the production of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist was very successful and gave Josie Lawrence her first professional job.

New Half Moon Theatre sketch by Kim-Wan Lee

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Having previously directed Trafford Tanzi at Half Moon in 1980, Chris Bond was appointed Artistic Director in 1984. His first production was a Christmas comedy, Dracula with Daniel Day Lewis, which was such a success that it was brought back the following year.

During his tenure, Chris Bond’s productions included Sweeney Todd, which opened the New Half Moon Theatre in April 1985, and Elizabeth, both with Gillian Hanna; an ambitious adaptation of Moll Flanders; George Costigan in Love on the Plastic and As Is, one of the first plays about HIV/AIDS; and the satirical musical Poppy. In 1986, Steven Berkoff wrote and directed Sink The Belgrano!, with Maggie Steed, and Yvonne Brewster joined the company on an Arts Council Director’s Bursary and directed Flash Trash, a reggae pantomime. By then the young people’s theatre was firmly establishing itself locally with a whole series of schools’ workshop programmes. Their professional shows for young audiences mostly toured into schools, with productions including The Wind Of Change by Winsome Pinnock.

Love on the Plastic (1987), photo by Sheila Burnett

Flash Trash (1986), photo by Amrando Atkinson

Poppy (1988), flyer

Dracula (1984), photo by John Haynes

Sweeney Todd (1985), photo by Donald Cooper

Elizabeth (1986), photo by Michael Le Poer Trench

By the late 1980s, the financial implications of the major capital project represented a huge problem for the company in a climate of recession and cuts from funding bodies. John Turner took over as Artistic Director in 1989 and created a circus spectacular for Christmas, Circus Moon. However, the company finances were unmanageable and the theatre went into voluntary administration. The following year, some of the company’s archive was rescued and given to Royal Holloway University of London in Egham, Surrey.

At this point, the young people’s theatre became an independent organisation with its own constitution.

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Young People’s Theatre The foundations of Half Moon Young People’s Theatre were laid in 1975 when Peter Conway and Murray Edmonds answered an advert in Time Out and were taken on to run the Youth Project: drama workshops in youth clubs across Tower Hamlets. It was first based in Alie Street, then at the Berner Club, and finally at Oxford House. In 1977, the youth programme was expanded to include professional productions for young audiences. Funding from Tower Hamlets and the Inner London Education Authority led to expansion and the company moved towards a stronger educational emphasis and a comprehensive young people’s theatre programme.

Wimp (1996), photo by Nick Davey

Suits (1990), photo by Amrando Atkinson

Bad City (1987), photo by Amrando Atkinson

Always With You (1992), photo by Amrando Atkinson

By the 1980s, the company was flourishing and there was a collective of actors devising participatory and immersive shows to tour into schools and community spaces. In 1983 a Bangladeshi outreach worker was appointed to develop contacts with the growing Bangladeshi community, now 20% of the population of Tower Hamlets. In 1984 Half Moon Theatre appointed Steve Harris as Associate Director to create a longterm Young People’s Theatre (YPT) policy and programme. The company also began working with disabled actors, which led to the founding of a new company, Double Exposure, committed to integrating disabled and able-bodied performers.

Deep Secret (1983)

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In 1985, the Mile End Road conversion was complete and YPT moved from a temporary base in Oxford House to its new home, the purpose-built youth theatre centre. The YPT company performed shows at the theatre and in schools. In addition to the youth theatre groups, a young playwrights’ group was set up and Half Moon YPT initiated the first London Young Playwrights’ Festival and became the centre for coordinating follow-up activities.

From these the New Playwrights’ Trust emerged to promote and develop new writing.

Technical training began in 1985, when the Entertainment Technicians’ Course became the first of a series of vocationally-oriented courses for unemployed young people in East London.

Killer Bytes (1984)

Entertainment Technicians’ Course

Rattlin’ the Cage (1990) photo by Amrando Atkinson

In 1987, Deborah Bestwick joined as Director and Nick Stafford was appointed as the first ever Writer in Residence for the YPT. The permanent resident acting company included disabled and Deaf performers. The company began exploring bilingual work and in 1988 launched its first bilingual theatre programme in English and Sylheti-Bengali with Dear Suraiya…

Love Rehana. This ground-breaking work was hugely successful and the company continued to devise work of this nature, including Bhela – The Raft by the Bangladeshi writer Shamim Azad.

When Half Moon Theatre went into voluntary administration in 1990, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre was set up as its own entity and the former Limehouse Board of Works was identified as a new home for the company. In the following four years, Lin Coghlan came on board as Writer in Residence and began a long association with the company. When Deborah Bestwick left in 1993, David Belshaw became the new artistic lead, at a time when participatory arts had a growing importance. In 1994 the company moved into their new home on White Horse Road.

Chubb (1986)

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43 White Horse Road In the late 1980s, in partnership with Tower Hamlets, the company identified a suitable building (the former Limehouse Board of Works) on White Horse Road, for a permanent base for Half Moon Young People’s Theatre. Following the acquisition of £1.3m funding to enable building modernisation from London Docklands Development Corporation and European and Social Regeneration funds, the organisation moved into the building in 1994. Initially there were no public performances at the building, only workshops and youth theatre groups, whilst the company continued to tour plays into schools. With the appointment of the present Director, Chris Elwell in 1997, the company underwent a radical re-focusing of operations, which was followed by significant increases in core funding from Arts Council England, opening the building as a public venue in 1998.

Theatre exterior

Theatre foyer, photo by Tim James

Yeah, Whatever! (2000), photo by Patrick Baldwin

Chris Elwell and his team established positive relationships with schools and members of the wider local community, putting young people at the heart of the company’s work, with the participatory programmes and professional theatre work informing each other. The professional theatre focused on two age groups, very young children and teenagers, and the company toured work to other venues around the UK. The plays for teenagers were human stories about teenagers’ experiences growing up in East London, including Yeah, Whatever! by Ashmeed Sohoye, Cutter by Sean Burn and Begin/End by David Lane.

Cutter (2004), photo by Patrick Baldwin

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In 2003, the company began a series of six bilingual shows for young children in English and British Sign Language, including Baa Moo Yellow Dog and Igloo Hullabaloo. The company’s artform development programme was formalised in 2004 as Exchange for Change, which focused on cross arts work

by Black and Minority Ethnic and/or disabled artists. Latterly Half Moon has introduced a focus on collaboration; co-producing shows with other companies and launching Half Moon Presents, a producing arm which supports small companies and individual artists – including those from other artforms, such as spoken word – to tour work for young audiences.

When Spring Comes (2012), photo by Patrick Baldwin

Sensory Journeys (2007), photo by Patrick Baldwin

Careers in Theatre

Look to the Sky (2011), photo by Patrick Baldwin

The Creative Learning programme and its inclusive integrated approach is crucial to the success of the company and is made up of signature projects, including Youth Theatres and projects both within and outside of formal education. Careers in Theatre, which has run in various forms since 1996, gives teenagers practical experience of the various technical and artistic careers available in theatre. The company delivers multi-sensory and cross arts work in early years settings and uses drama to help primary schools deliver areas of the National Curriculum, such as maths and literacy.

The future of Half Moon Theatre was secured in 2008, when the company purchased the freehold of the building. In 2012, a three year £1m programme of capital works included upgrading and refurbishing the public areas of the building, repairs to the roof and gutters and renovation of the beautiful Victorian façade.

The theatre is now established as a beacon for young people and artists for many years to come.

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What Do We Want?

Thursday 30 June, 6.30pm & Saturday 2 July, 4pm Theatre of Change Eclipse Youth Theatre, one of Half Moon’s inclusive groups for young people aged 8–11, focused on some of the company’s productions and participatory projects which explored social change through revolution and social movements.

They used as their stimulus

Will Wat, If Not, What Will? (1972)

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We Can’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! (1978)

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist (1983)

Dear Suraiya... Love Rehana (1984)

What do we want? Tea workers’ rights! When do we want it? NOW! Eclipse members share their instinctive, sensitive and mature responses to situations beyond their experiences. The stimulus of the four productions provided a variety of engaging themes for the group to explore. They discovered the importance of standing up for your rights and worked exceptionally well together, devising scenes, playing with ideas and translating these into re-telling a story of struggle and uprising. The performance they have created is an exploration of everyone’s favourite drink: a cup of tea. But have they done enough to make you think about the social issues discussed when you next put the kettle on?

Youth Theatre Members Avantika, Bethan, Charley, Cal, Danny, Edie, Elizabeth, Elysia, Georgina, Jake, Javeer, Juliet, Lily, Lola, Lola-Grace, Malachi, Maria, Maya, Mia, Miles, Muna, Nayla, Orveen, Pedro, Ryley, Saskia, Sophie, Yasmin

Lead Tutor Androulla Constantinou Support Tutor Madeleine Graham Access Amy Costello, Genevieve Helson Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Placement Fani Vlanou Composer James Grant Designer Liz Atkin Lighting Designers Phil Clarke & Toni Tsaera

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Hopscotch Hypnosis

Friday 1 July, 6.30pm & Saturday 2 July 12.30pm Theatre of Belonging Equinox Youth Theatre, one of Half Moon’s inclusive groups for young people aged 8–11, focused on the stories of belonging that the company has told through productions and participatory projects.

They used as their stimulus

Hamlet (1979), photo

by Donald Cooper

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Kola Pata Bhut/The Hopscotch Ghost (1983)

Eclipse: A Tale for Winter (1999), photo

by Patrick Baldwin

Ocean of Stories (2000)

Members of Equinox delved into their four stimulus productions and found themselves traversing celestial plains, playing hopscotch with ghosts and losing their way in the dark. Will their ties to each other and to the theatre be strong enough to pull them back into the light? They have excelled at bringing an abundance of ideas and narrative to their devised piece. They have transferred the story to movement, transformed feelings into words and changed the past into the present. Follow them as they separate and congregate in their own phase of the moon.

Youth Theatre Members Alek, Alina, Anna, Aurora, Austus, Ava A, Ava R, Davina, Douglas, Elis, Freya, Gabriel, Ilyas, Inesse, Kajus, Keziah, Kody, Leela, Lily, Louis, Maelyn, Max, Nicole, Pablo, Roman, Saraiya, Zainab

Lead Tutor Madeleine Graham Support Tutor David Gilbert Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Placement Fani Vlanou Composer James Grant Designer Liz Atkin Lighting Designers Phil Clarke & Toni Tsaera

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Control and Command

Thursday 30 June, 8pm & Saturday 2 July, 5.30pm Theatre of Politics Lunar Youth Theatre, Half Moon’s inclusive group for young people aged 11–18, focused on the company’s history of creating political theatre, exploring themes such as imperialism, international migration and radicalisation and extremism.

They used as their stimulus

Sink the Belgrano!

(1986), photo by Michael Le Poer Trench

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Free to Stay (1987)

Locked In (2006), photo

by Patrick Baldwin

Map of Me (2016), photo

by Stephen Beeny

Questions, thoughts, opinions, statements and debates. Lunar members have engaged with the politics covered in the chosen repertoire of Half Moon productions. Their piece is a response to those stimulus plays and how young people in society feel today. What does it mean to be political?

Are we able to tell stories and challenge perceptions? Do writers create evocative stories to establish emotional connections with audiences? Lunar have worked in an emotionally responsive way to create a piece which encompasses a vast range of responses to ‘Theatre of Politics’.

Youth Theatre Members Alessandra, Alexia-Pyrrha , Callum, Cara, Eby, Elsa, Gabe, Isabel, Jason, Jazz, Jordan, Jorian, Kiera, Lewis, Libby, Luca, Megan, Molly, Nadirah, Naomi, Nicole, Rio, Rita, Sonny, Sophie, Sumaya, Thalia, Toni Th, Toni Ts, Yusaf

Lead Tutor Androulla Constantinou Support Tutor Madeleine Graham Access Niall Phillips, Mark Conway Composer James Grant Designer Liz Atkin Lighting Designer Toni Tsaera

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Gods and Humans

Friday 1 July 8pm & Saturday 2 July, 2pm Theatre of Entitlement Solar Youth Theatre, Half Moon’s specialist group for disabled teenagers, focused on the company’s history of disability theatre for, with and by young people.

They used as their stimulus

Secret Garden (2000), photo by Patrick Baldwin

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Yeh Hsien (2001), photo

by Patrick Baldwin

Mermaid & the Mirror (2005), photo by Patrick Baldwin

My Friend Snow (2005), photo by Patrick Baldwin

In a frame Reflecting my face Reflecting myself Outside and Inside Poem by Anthony (Untitled) Members of Solar are supported by a team of dedicated access workers, who are also artists in their own right. The stimulus productions led to an interest in the ensemble’s own reflections and they explored mirrors and frames, then a poem written by one of the members on the theme of reflections. Their devised piece plays with the notion of Gods and humans, the idea of stepping through the mirror, and the inner and outer worlds of the human mind.

Youth Theatre Members Anthony, Crystal, Dami, Dana, Denzel, Emily, Iyanu, Nicholas, Owen, Saira, Tahera

Lead Tutor Sam Adams Support Tutor Madeleine Graham Access Amari Harris, Charlene Skyers, David Gilbert, Genevieve Helson, Helen Jackson-Lyall Composer James Grant Designer Liz Atkin Lighting Designer Phil Clarke

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About Half Moon

we include, we inform, we inspire Half Moon is a local organisation with a national remit, committed to supporting artists and young people at every stage of their creative development. Working from our base in East London, Half Moon specialises in new writing and artform development, acting as a gateway organisation that provides pathways for progression and experimentation.

Half Moon’s wide-ranging programme reaches 49,000 people annually and engages those who are often excluded from arts activity. Our activity includes a season of professional plays for young audiences, national touring productions and an extensive creative learning programme, including seven youth theatres.

Half Moon is a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and receives regular funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Staff

Get in touch

Beccy Allen Producer (Creative Learning) Stephen Beeny Communications Manager Euan Borland Venue & Programmes Administrator John Bunker Cleaner Phil Clarke Production & Technical Manager Jackie Eley Administrative Director Chris Elwell Director

Half Moon 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND

Trustees Julian Sutton (Chair/Treasurer) Duncan Holden (Vice Chair) Adeel Akhtar, Dawn Harrison-Wallace, Sarah Haworth, Anuradha Laws, Elaine McLaughlin, Orla Sanders, Martin Welton, Julia Williams, Penny Wrout

020 7709 8900 admin@halfmoon.org.uk www.halfmoon.org.uk

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Half Moon Young People’s Theatre Ltd is a registered company in England & Wales (2479179). Registered office: 43 White Horse Road, London E1 0ND. Registered Charity: 1010192. This brochure is printed using the environmentally friendly waterless printing process and is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC).